Let's Not Pretend
by acciowords
Summary: Blaine isn't sure of his feelings, and Kurt is overwhelmingly enamored. Finding the balance in that proves a challenge, but it's worth the effort. The problem is, their feelings aren't the only obstacles to face.


Blaine paced his room, tracing the same well-worn path on his rug as always. It was how he did his thinking. His fellow Warblers, Jake, Logan, and Wes, were sprawled out on his bed, eating snacks and watching his progression. He had just found out that Kurt was coming to Dalton and his brain hadimmediately went to work. There was so much for him to consider, and he was quite clearly having some sort of internal dilemma. Kurt was leaving McKinley. They were going to be in the same school together. They would, undoubtedly, end up spending most of their time together. And this was inciting a series of mixed reactions in Blaine. So, naturally, his friends had gathered in his room for the show.

"I like Kurt. He's kind, genuine, smart, funny…"

A chorus of sniggering cut him off.

"Wow, Blaine. Those sound like great characteristics. Is "kind" like the new slang for "Holy shit, you are so hot"?" Wes asked, with mock curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah, man, where the hell have you been? It's kind of like how we use "smart" as a euphemism for "get in my bed, please," Logan chimed in.

"Shut up." Blaine stopped pacing just long enough to give them both sufficient withering glares, which would have been much more effective if Jake hadn't been shaking with laughter. Needless to say, his friends found his predicament more amusing than he did. They weren't understanding the issue, because this was how they always joked around, and Blaine felt himself losing patience.

"You're not listening to me. Those are exactly the kinds of comments you can't make when Kurt is around-"

"Because you want to prolong your angst and sexual tension?"

"_Because _I am not looking to date him. And I'm not looking to lead him on. Kurt's not ready for a relationship; he had never even met another out gay guy before me," Blaine was struggling to find the right words. "I need to make sure that he understands that just because two guys are gay and friendly, doesn't mean they should be together. And to be honest, I don't even think I have romantic feelings for him. So you are all being officially warned. No teasing. No hinting at our supposedly fated love-"

"No fun at all," whined Logan.

Blaine let out a frustrated yell. "OUT. Go to your own rooms, I can't deal with you lot right now". He kicked his three well-meaning, but aggravating, friends out of his room, and flopped onto the bed himself.

Kurt was, quite frankly, pretty hot. But Blaine had meant it when he said he didn't feel anything too romantic yet. When they were together, most of the time it was comfortable and effortless, just two friends hanging out. But sometimes, the way Kurt looked at him was unsettling. His eyes would reveal this intensity that terrified Blaine, sending him into spiraling worry. In a single look, Kurt could hurl an array of expectations, worries, insecurities, and fears out into the world. And every time Blaine saw that look, he had to try to fix it, because no one else seemed to understand it. He saw it the very first time they met, when Kurt had attempted to "spy" on the warblers. The look on his face when he found out that bullying wasn't tolerated at Dalton, like a mixture of shock, confusion, and pain, had cut right through Blaine. It reflected everything he used to go through on a daily basis. That's how the possibility of Kurt coming to Dalton came up to begin with.

But lately, Blaine was noticing something else in those looks, and he was worried that Kurt was starting to catch feelings. The notion was ridiculously flattering, and really just presumptuous of him, but Blaine felt like he had to discourage Kurt, just in case. If he weren't so preoccupied with protecting him, then Blaine would have been more than happy to try things out with Kurt. But as it were, he knew that he'd never risk something like that with Kurt's current disposition, and his own uncertain feelings. With his luck, he'd manage to screw things up, make Kurt lose all trust in him, and then all other men, and then the only thing left would be more experimentation with women.

"Oh god. I can't let that happen," he murmured to himself. Nope. Definitely keeping things platonic.


End file.
